Well, me too, to a certain degree, although I probably have a different Lois in mind *grins*. But honestly, I don't believe this story can fully line up with the comics. The implied future can be somewhat reminiscent of the comics, but that's about it, IMHO. There are just too many changes in the story. YMMV, of course.



I agree. We really need Clark to come to the conclusion that Lana isn't right for him in order to properly wind up the Clana, I think.

The trick is that they made who Clark bangs a huge part of this show, by "they" I mean Goughlar. They pretty much spell out that as long as he wants to play hide the krypto!sausage with Lana, he ain't that interested in the super!stuff. I watched a ton of anime where the show isn't about who bangs the main dude or where the main couple didn't make me wretch into a barf bag but hey, I think we should put the blame squarely on who is to blame: TPTB who drooled at the prospect of Clexana, chortled about how Lana was finally "legal" and had a huge belly laugh about "saucy" Lois. House isn't all about who he bangs, Reaper has a girlfriend who I'm actually OK with and she's 100000000000X better than Lana.

He doesn't have to get with anyone else but unless he dropkicks Lana, I'd gladly eat beef tartare while a krypto!grizzly mauls this version of Superman.



Is this hard info or is that you have faith in writers that don't KNOW that Lois finds out the secret? Because I've been waiting a long time for something similar for that creepy ice castle, the whole Clana fiasco, whether or not Lana is a FOTW, a whole bunch of crap that never panned out.

I hope that the episodes that KK signed up for, she's playing some AU version of Lana. I don't think I trust SV!Clark to oust SV!Lana permantly from his affections. Clark seemed to be pretty broken down by the DVD. At this point, I'd pay big money to see his boot on her butt, but I'm not starting the betting pool. He's a BDA, proves it all the time. Would Lana come back for the Lex funeral? You know, I think should would...Gawd, I hate her.

Another problem I have is, at least to me, is that the show never really played up the downfall of the Planet. At least for me, Thirst might have been the last time the show presented what a beacon of hope and truth the DP is. After that, it was a given. Then it's not until Kara that we learn that Grant wants it to become more tabloidy (before Lex took over, oddly enough). But after that we never got the sense of how terrible it is, how the public views it, even how Chloe or Lois views it other than Chloe's original shock. The show never gave me the sense of loss needed to mourn the death of old school DP.

That's why I don't think we'll get the arc of the DP returning to greatness. They never bothered to give the DP a personality of its own. At best we might get a line of Oliver buying it and saying "Oh, it's true journalism again."

YMMV.

But the whole arc with Lex buying it was about how he was manipulating the power of the press for his own ends.

The Daily Plant was no longer the guardian of truth and integrity it once was with him at the helm (though this was the same paper that Lionel had enough influence over to get Chloe a coloumn...).

No, no, no. Even if they leave Chloe exactly the way she is, I still hope they can up Lois's reporting arc. I see no need for Chloe to be lessened so Lois can look better. Maybe that will end up happening anyways because the writers don't seem to be able to write well for more than one character at a time, but I also will be mad if they downplay/change Chloe in order to improve Lois. Like I've always said, I like Lois, and I like Chloe. I never feel that it's one or the other. I love the character of Chloe as Chloe, and if they are moving her away from the DP, then I was listing the things I hope they do for her instead. It's not that I want her gone. I personally would be happy with both the ladies working there. My point was that since I don't believe they are going to keep Chloe in her old journalism role, I was coming up with other ideas that I wouldn't mind for her.

I also have no qualms with Clark dating Chloe, and then dating Lois. I don't think it'd be weird, or would diminish Lois and Clark's relationship in the future because he dated Lois's cousin. You can read my posts again, but I certainly would never say that Clark shouldn't date Chloe because of his future with Lois. And even though Olliver dated Lois, they weren't married or anything. I thought Olliver and Chloe had pretty good chemistry with each other, even though I also thought Lois and Olliver had good chemistry. But I like the idea that the Chloe I'm a fan of could date a good-looking, interesting, and talented superhero. I like Olliver a lot, and I'd love to see him with Chloe.

For a long time I wanted Clark to date Chloe, at least for a little bit. I thought she'd earned it. But then I realized that what I really wanted wasn't for Chloe to get Clark, but for Chloe to get over Clark. I hate that she has this long-standing never-ending love for the guy. I love that they are friends and so close. But it diminishes who Chloe is on the inside to me that she would hold out for Clark after all this time, and everything she's witnessed with him and Lana. I want her to fall in love with someone who returns those feelings, not someone who needs eight years to realize they should give her a chance.

As for the idea of Lois being out of the DP instead of Chloe, I'd just like to state again that I never suggested Chloe should be out of the DP and Lois kept in. These characters are not one or the other for me, I like them both. If the writer's say that Chloe is moving past the DP, then I like to speculate on what she may do, and what I would be ok with if she did those things. If I wrote the show myself, a lot of things would be different. But instead of putting my feet in the mud and waiting for these characters to evolve into great characters, I decided I would try to figure out the direction they were going, and then think of positive things that could happen in that direction.

I respectively disagree, Dread. I agree that Chloe has some heroic moments under her belt, but they all seem to be so... selfless. Even her meteor power is so martyr-like, I can't stand it. And that's the problem I have with Chloe now. She's a shadow of herself. She's Clark's helpmate or Jimmy's girlfriend and that seems to be all. I guess I want her to have something of her own. Leaving Chlois or being a great reporter at the DP out of it, I've been fed a Chloe that had a passion for looking in those hidden places, leaving no rock, especially little green ones from outer space, unturned.

I can accept that she's out of the DP, but I can't accept that she's out of journalism altogether. I'd be into Chloe Sullivan, rogue blogger or operating a Lone Gunmen-esque pamphlet, even running a show like Coast to Coast. But not sidekick to Ollie or Clark with nothing of her own and with no passion for the truth. That thing Clonian said about "letting her torch burn out..." I never thought the writers would make it true.

I want her passionate again-- and about something all her own. It doesn't mean she has to expose Clark to expose the other evils around them.

Moreover, I truly want Chloe to be instrumental in exposing the now corrupt DP and restoring it to its former glory.

That right there is I think the issue. Again, we have the writers having a different vision than what we expect. It's not some plot twist --- it's character assassination. When we first had Julian beat up Chloe, I presumed it was so that Chloe would then turn around and prove him wrong. I never for a minute presumed that Julian was the "true voice" of the writers. It was such a classic "bad guy abuses good guy" --- it didn't seem "real" at all. Now... based on Craig's commentary and statement that the writers think Chloe is done with the Daily Planet... I think they meant Julian was right. That is beyond horrible. Did they retcon there way into that or did they really mean to have Julian be their voice?

As for the purpose of this character assassination -- I think even Craig admits it's to get Chloe out so they can make it "Lois and Clark at the Daily Planet". It wasn't necessary to do it this way, but I don't think it was done for artistic reasons. They needed to achieve that end state and they were too lazy to think of a better way. This, then, is a character assassination of Lois. She looks opportunistic and callous for Chloe. Again, a hundred different ways to approach this with just a few sentence changes and she doesn't look so bad. Instead I think they were trying to show Lois as aggressive and brassy. Full of life, not soft in her daily interactions. They wanted to distinguish her from Chloe as a reporter. But it was a character assassination IMO as they created emnity for her character because her success HAS come at the expense of a beloved character. If her name wasn't Lois Lane (and she didn't have a pre-existing relationship with Clark that was positive), in many respects she would be "the bad guy" for what has happened with her replacing Chloe.

I have no doubt the S7 book will verify this travesty. I'm seriously debating cancelling my order because I don't know if I want to see it in black and white.

Moving to the Chloe thread...

The DP is the "it" job on SV. Just because one person on the show doesn't work there anymore does not make it anything less than a great career opportunity. The DP was never defined by Chloe. Chloe, post season 4, was defined by the DP. But she isn't any longer and thats something that the writers have seemed to let go. Chloe is just one person, the DP is iconic.

I should also point out that while the DP is great, its Lois Lane's interviews with "Superman", Clark Kent's friendship with "Superman" and the exclusive photos Jimmy takes of "Superman" that will make the Daily Planet the stuff of legend. And that hasn't happened yet- and won't happen on this show, but when it does it'll be those 3 that do it, not Chloe. But I do suspect that there will be a shakeup at the DP next season, starting with Contessa, then eventually its new Owner.

Another thing..

Its being said that Chloe gave up her dream and whatnot. Thats not what happened. What happened was that Lex Luthor took her dream from her. He fired her, and threw her out of the building. It was Lex who squashed her being a reporter at the DP, not something Chloe gave up willingly. Props to the writers for having Lex be the one to nail the coffin shut.

Lois is already established at the DP, and will move out of the basement next season. I don't think Jimmy will make it out of the basement before the show ends because in the Alternate Reality in Apocalypse he was still in the basement while Lois had become the star reporter. And I do think that vision Clark experienced will come to the pass by the end of the show. And I do expect him to make his entrace into the DP next season, even if its part time. Thats 3 people working for the DP. I think thats enough. Having too many people working at the DP would look awkward.



Why would Clark have Chloe tell his secrets to the world, when he has no persona to fall back on, thereby putting a big bullseye on his back for every every to destroy his and his loved ones' life? Its selfish, and its too dangerous. The persona is what shields him and those he loves. If everyone knew he was Clark, Chloe and everyone else Clark hangs with would face wrath. Its a death wish at this point, and Clark is wise for not even thinking of such a thing. No persona= no interview.

Besides, Chloe mooched off of Clark for 4 years in the torch and took ALL the credit in the newspaper even though it was Clark who was doing all the hard investigating and risking his life. I think he's given her enough free publicity in her lifetime already. If Chloe is to remain a journalist in some way next season I think its time she sink or swim by her own merits and talents instead of having other people continuously dropping free stories in her lap.



She told him she didn't want to be his part time girlfriend, and his future wife was introduced last season. I thought Siren wrapped up Lollie last season. He went off with Black Canary, and Lois admited to wanting to be with a guy like Clark.

In Siren Lois said she wanted to be with a guy who isn't a superhero, doesn't have a secret identity and doesn't leave her to got and risk his life for other people.

Or, in short, a guy who is nothing at all like Clark.

Taken to the All Seasons thread...

So Clark, Nois and Jimmy all get to ride on Superman's metaphoric coat tails? But Chloe investigating with Clark for the Torch is seen as her "mooching" off him? She was a reporter and editor of the Torch. Color me amazed.


And we (general we) should cheer the villain in this? Chloe is one of the good guys. Since when is it okay for the villain to "squash" the dreams of a good guy? Stinky Storytelling 101, imo.

When he creates his Superman persona then Chloe can write about it not before.

Agreed. I was going to comment on this too, but I think that Chloe needs to get back to the Daily Planet. I agree that she didn't abandon that ambition, she was pushed out by the current status of the paper. Once it's restored, she should make her way back. However, at that point, she may very well decide she doesn't want it. If she's given an arc that allows her to assess her life and all that's changed over the last few years, who's to say her dream doesn't have an adjustment? I don't think it needs to diminish the character if so.

Or, she could continue to be a reporter, but it's not the only drive in her life. Like it or not, Chloe's life has changed over the last two seasons. She's meteor-infected. She's a crime-fighter. She's all this, in addition to being a reporter. It's not that much of a stretch to see her maybe deciding that her purpose is different than she once thought. She asked Clark why she was given her power. This gift. I think Season 8 will explain the "why" and that it'll be a major part of her story. What I don't think any longer, is that Chloe's character hinges on her presence at the Daily Planet. Even this season, when she was there, she was shown doing other things, beyond the paper and everyday stories.

Also, because her character was created for Smallville, I think the show has that latitude when it comes to her overall story. Look at what they did to Lionel. Can anyone honestly say that his character's end could've been predicted based on the first three seasons? I certainly couldn't. And I think the same can be said of Chloe. What was true during Seasons 1-3 may not be the same now. And considering all the changes in her life over the past few years, how could it be?

Precisely, if it's mooching to work with Clark then Lois is queen parasite. Sorry but just because her name is Lois Lane doesn't mean that she's not mooching or gets a ticket that makes sure she never has to face any of the issues that Lana (like seeing Clark mash lips with some girl while high, being attacked by Brainiac or being ditched for some emergency) or Chloe (attacked by FOTW, helping Clark out on something that will NEVER give her a story) has had to face.

This is a funny quote considering that EDLois has done this pretty much all season.
I must have been watching a different show. I saw Lois jokingly making the most of the situation and leaning on a friend for support, but nothing more. And furthermore, she doesn't want to be with a hero like Oliver, so she'll settle for Superman? That doesn't make a lick of sense.
Going to All Seasons...

It's another one of their dumb 'ironic' anvils. They think 'Oh, you're expecting Lois to want the superhero type? Well take this suckers! She wants a normal guy! NOT a superhero! Not someone with a destiny that's greater than her own!' Haha. Aren't we funny'.

Whereas what I get from it is: Lois could never have a relationship with Clark, for all the valid reasons she pointed out in Siren. Therefore these writers are idiots for saying their 'destined couple' are completely incompatible.

They like to be opposite for opposites sake, but they never think about what this actually means for their characters.

Chloe in the Chloe chronicals investigated without Clark. In the Pilot she shows Clark the Wall of Wierd a wall of her investigation that he knew nothing about for the first time. In Truth she investigated and snuck into Luthor corp without Clark. In DELETE we are shown that she had been investigating Sommerhalt without Clark, we are shown she was a reporter BEFORE she met Clark. Chloe has also risked her life for Clark more then once So, no, I dont agree that Clark does all the hard investigating whole Chloe takes all the credit. In the future Lois Lane get free publicity from Superman. Nois has had her fair share of stories fall into her lap also, or more precisley at her feet, in her trash can in her e-mail folder. Also lets not forget how she got the Job and who gave it to her. If she were to swim by her own merrits i dont think it would be very far before she sank. Esp if a legit editor comes to the DP

From the hiatus poll thread:




Not really. Sure they can kill her off, send her to Botswania, or put her someplace other than the DP but they don't have to. The real question is whether or not they will acknowledge her existence in the comics after SV is over and to what extent she'll play a role. We've seen indications that they have incorporated meteor freaks of the week (a purely SV invention). They've also potentially left the series with Lex knowing Clark is an alien, before he adopts his Superman persona. With Lex "missing, presumed dead" but no body in the ground, that's traditionally "not dead" in the SV lexicon. Finally, we've got Lois knowing Clark before he comes to the Daily Planet. Bottom line: the pre-SV backstory for Superman has been reinvented. Seems to me retcon and re-invention is par for the comics course anyway. If they intend to "link up" then they are linking in a fair amount of non-canon backstory --- not just Chloe's existence. The backstory "link" has made some inroads in the comics. I personally expect more to follow rather than to ignore the SV story.

At the convention this past weeked AM talked about:
- her desire for Chloe to harness her power and
- her belief that S8 will be more darker than previous years. This followed a comment regarding being exited about Doomsday coming. Although I don't think they have scripts, that "darker' comment sounds like something they might have told her when they laid out a rough idea of their objectives for S8. It seems like Erica has has some rough objectives specified too.
At least she didn't wax poetic about a personal desire to have her character explore her relationship with Jimmy. I take some small comfort there.

Darker? Seriously? When it's gotten so depressing and gloomy over the past two years? I wouldn't mind serious, heavy plots, if they were tempered with the characters having fun occasionally. But I don't want to see another season of kicking all the characters and watching them cry.

That's my reaction. Although I'll take sad and weeping characters over "fun" like Sleeper any day. I would rather them be miserable than have a horrible headache from bashing my head against my desk from the utter stupidity.

Random thought: For some reason, in my head, Tess is a lot like Bela from S3 of SPN.

Darker?! WTF!!!
Any more darkness in this series and our TV screens will be black for the whole hour...I was hoping for some light Superman fun for a change...Man S8 is getting suckier by the minute.

Yeah, but really they are bringing in Doomsday. Did we think that was going to be cheery? It could be, if we could convince TPTB to cast Elmo as Doomsday and the epic battle with Clark is a tickling contest. Just checking to see if this joke goes over any better on this site.

<crickets>

Oh well. Dreary it is...

Well if this were any other Supes show she would be talking about Clark, not Superman. Beware the anvils.

I'm not going on any type of insider information but I can't help but wonder if some good big announcement is coming between now and Comic-Con. Last year the Supergirl announcement was around this time, and the year before that we had Jimmy Olsen and Green Arrow. Is "Doomtender" and "Tess" it? I'm not sure...

Also, remember that usually big announcements have also come out right before the seasons started... in S7 it was Brainiac returning, and S6 it was the Justice League episode... so maybe something like that is in the offing as well. (And with Justin a regular next year, they've just gotta do the League again)

I get the same vibe. We've been spoiler-deprived for a loooong time now (when was the last time the Spoilers Only thread lit up with a little golden envelope?). Doomtender just isn't getting me excited at all. Supergirl gave me a little, "Oh, I guess that could kind of be cool."

I've been much more excited for previous seasons, which is a shame, because we should all be biting out nails in anticipation of the final season. I want to feel like they're pulling out all the stops, but I can't. :/

I tried to laugh, really I tried but I couldn't sorry :(

I accept this. J-Lo and their fashion empire, Tess as baby Peepex, The Daily Star Blog Crusade (TM Elly), the redecoration of the FOS to include stripper poles (TM Fallen One) and foosball tables are all in the Black Panda summer cannon. Elmo as Doomsday out. The people have spoken.

Anybody care to speculate on what Chloe's storyline will look like for the early season?...say,..maybe the first 10 episodes?

Ideally, she is drafted into the Smallville version of the Suicide Squad or Checkmate.

Realistically, we get so much Chimmy angst and bullshit that I will long for the good old days of Sleeper before sweeps.

I think the last spoiler was the return of JH. If I had to guess, I'd say our next spoilers would be whom they cast as Tess and Doomtender. When did they announce LV as Kara?

What makes this show interesting is how it keeps getting more and more morose and "dark" and depressing yet emotionally I just don't care.

"Tess" and "Davis Bloome" are cast

I'm kind of digging the casting, despite being initially underwhelmed.

At least they haven't gone for more generic WB/CW 'pretty people'.

I hope this Sam Witwer has been working out though. I'm having enough trouble with Doomtender as it is. If he looks tiny next to Welling I'm going to find it hard to take him seriously.

From the Spoiler thread:



I'm actually quite shocked that they didn't cast Canadians because they're more accessible and as I understand it, cheaper.

Both new actors for the show aren't new actors in the industry. Their resumes are pretty impressive.

The actor playing Doomtender went to Julliard and has been in many many shows (recently CSI) and has done lots of voicework (recently, voicing Darth Vader's Apprentice for a videogame, so at least, he's got some experience in villainy).

The actress playing Tess has has done of variety of work, including threater and Indie films. She's also had lots of training, having been acting since high school and in college and being involved in theater troups. I'm really impressed with her because her website says she also tutors kids, did some international studies in Bolivia, and went to an international theater festival in the Amazon, having written and performed in a one-woman play, entirely in Spanish.

I am somewhat excited about these characters now because I feel like the acting quality of the show just went up a little. I just hope the storyline will do them justice.

I just hope he wears this giant fro. Doomtender could hide a full set of highball glasses in there.

I very, very rarely have a problem with any of SV's casting. But the storyline is almost consistantly bad. I think the best we can hope for is that SW and CF make their characters believable despite the crap, like LV did this season, IMO.

My, oh my, I'm cynical this morning!

It does make me kind of nervous that the newer casting side paired Tess with Ollie. Although I certainly think Tessark is a silly idea (except for the Clex subtext), if Tess is the Luthor-by-proxy, then Tess should be interacting with Clark, not Oliver. Add in the fact that they've worked together before and that their signings came close together... I dunno. I'm probably just over-thinking.

I was thinking that it seems Doomtender and Tess are more like long-arc guest stars than regular cast. I understand they are "regulars" but thinking about last year how we had LV and MC announcements -- in the end, their arcs were like new diversions/obstacles for the main cast. As a "regular" LV got some independent development but she was mostly a plot driver. As this is the last season, I see the new characters as ones that will drive the plot which the mains react to but I'm not sure they be written for long-term "investment". Now Olliver is a different story. He was the plot bunny of S6 but to me he's completely integrated at this point and jumping up to series regular puts him on par with at least Jimmy. Lois is different becausee they are (IMO) going to try and make her character blend into her canon role. Jimmy, I think, is already there --- we just need to see how Chimmy ends because I don't think they will leave them together.

The more I think about it, however, the more I realize that I am now dreading one of the few things that I have been hoping for for years. Clark's entry into the DP. I think him at the DP is a definite S8 plan (with that lame application scene in Arctic). They'll rationalize that Chloe can't go back (or won't go back) so Clark needs to get in there to get his own data. Again, it'll be just like Chimmy was suppose to be what fans have been asking for. Fans have been asking for Clark to stand on his own two feet and the writers will wonder -- gee, why aren't you happy? It's going to be hard to see him at the DP without Chloe when we didn't get a happy resolution for Chloe leaving the DP. I can see them have Chloe convince him to do it and I think I won't like that either. It will always feel like a contrivance on behalf of Lois with Chloe unjustly being left on the side of the road. If I was a Lois fan I'd feel her future romantic specialness was undermined by Clana and her role in Clark's life as his Daily Planet partner was accomplished at the expense of a Clark's BFF. I may be unique but it would bug me.*

Now could they fix this? Marginally perhaps. It would have been far far more smooth if Clark came on board BEFORE Chloe left and THEN Chloe left for some happy reason rather than being unjustly fired. I think they are out of airspeed and altitude for that option and have to come up with some new way to make it "okay". At this point, if they feel they have to push Chloe permanently out of the DP to have Lois and Clark at the DP, they could do something like have Chloe be instrumental in getting Ollie to buy the paper and bring in new leadership for the Daily Planet, getting Clark set up, and then continue on as a "free lance" journalist for a variety of publications (including the DP). It would look like a step up for Chloe in my book: a choice to work her life not as a 9-5 but as an independent but still recognized journalist who publishes when they have something to write and otherwise is off doing superhero work. Lois and Clark stick with the 9-5 but Chloe is not excluded from the Daily Planet when she needs to be there. Of course that is not a "dark" story in the least and a bit too happy happy for reality. But seriously, if they want to leave the stink off of Lois, they probably will have to go over the top a bit to make Chloe appear satisfied. (Memo to TPTB -- Chimmy is not it).

*BTW, I am sure an enthusiastic argument could be made about how Lois is good and worthy and "who cares" about how she gets ahead it's a dog-eat-dog world, yada, yada -- for me, I just wouldn't be able to rationalize it.

Sam Witwer I sort of knew back in his Juilliard days through a friend of a friend who also attended the school. I'd love to say that we were friends and shit, but really I don't know if I ever said more than a few words to him at a party or something. Of course now he's on a different level. Anyway, the project most would probably know him from is The Mist (2007). Though his role is relatively minor, his performance is really wonderful and his character and death scene is one of the most memorable of the film. He's VERY good.

What Isis for then? Clark can get all the data and more from Isis.

Ok, I'm going to take a chance on looking really foolish here and ease out a bit onto a narrow limb to speculate on what Chloe's early season storyline might look like.

Based on the current storyline, I dont' think Chloe's storyline will radically change in early season 8 from where she's at once she gets immediately beyond the federal charges she's facing. Some of the changes we'll see I think are likely pretty predictable, imo. Really, at the moment, Chloe doesn't have a storyline, per se. Her concerns are large but very few, and her participation is actually pretty constricted at the moment. For a handful of episodes now, Chloe has become an unemployed, Jimmy obsessed, directionless character with no real tie to the story other than she cares about Clark, assists Oliver on occasion and has been arrested on the heels of a Jimmy betrayal and a marriage proposal. What I expect is for the show to build immediately on those small number of concerns for Chloe picking up exactly where she left off to end season 7.

What I expect is that Ollie purchasing the DP, Chloe's return to journalism (if she does), and the end of Chimmy will happen along the same timeline--it will all kinda fall in at the same time, imo. Tess will hold forth as a Lex proxy in the role of a series regular in season 8, so she's not going anywhere soon. She won't be defeated, die or converted from the evol of her ways soon--she will continue to be an obstacle for a protracted period of time. According to available info, she will be protecting Lex's assets, watching out for his interests and be staunchly loyal to him--so, she will be a villain that will linger for a while. I'm guessing that the DP will not be wrestled away from LuthorCorp by Oliver anytime soon. So, I have to believe that while Tess rules and reigns over the Luthor empire, not a lot of real progress will be made in the meantime until Tess is defeated--I think that will likely be a while.

So, Chloe starts season 8 under arrest. She will obviously be rescued from that dilemma in some fashion, and she will likely return to her life in most respects the way it was minus facing the arrest charges at that point. At the moment, she has no motivation, interest or inspiration other than her immediate personal concerns about Jimmy Olsen and being a Clark cheerleader. Her power appears to be a virtual McGuffin with only one other point of relevance to make any sense of it all. She will likely save Clark on the heels of the Doomsday battle which will result in her death--where they go from there is anybody's guess. It could be her swan song, or the experience of healing Clark could heal her permanently of the infection. Personally, I tend to think she will likely be healed of the meteor infection.

In the short term, Chloe will need a rescue and some legal representation....Oliver will likely be the source of that. I think Oliver (sadly) will be the one who has the answers for Chloe at least in the near term--not Clark.

Once Chloe is free, her early season storyline will most likely focus her on a couple of story elements--1) the Chimmy, and 2) what she will do in the near term for an income to keep her bills paid. So, I think Chloe will stay occupied with these basic elements until the next major change for her arrives in the storyline...I'm guessing that will come by way of new mid-season plot twists. Yeah, Chimmy will end eventually, but not anytime soon, imo.

Here's what I think will basically happen:

1) Chloe's personal life: In keeping with the Jimmy/Chimmy--Lana/Clana parallels, I'd expect a convo between JO & Clark early in season 8 similar to the Chlana convo in Lara. As Lana asked Chloe to keep her secret about Isis from Clark, I think that Jimmy will approach Clark to ask him to keep his deal with Lex a secret from Chloe. Jimmy will likely tell Clark that he's proposed to Chloe and that revealing what happened in his Lex deal would only break Chloe's heart--he'll likely ask Clark to go along for Chloe's sake, so he will. I think that Jimmy will suggest that Lex is dead now, and there's no reason for Chloe to have to know anything further. At that point, only we as the audience and Clark know of Jimmy's treachery and his deal with Lex--or so Jimmy will think. At this point, Chloe doesn't really understand why the feds were watching her, or that JO struck a deal with Lex. What she knows is that Jimmy spied on her, sold her out to the DDS, stole from her and claimed that he has handled the problem.

The casting sides about Tess confronting Jimmy in the DP archives room about his deal with Lex is part of what makes me believe the Clark-JO conversation is what will happen. If it takes place, the speculated Tess confrontation suggests to me that Jimmy's deal with Lex is not only something that Tess will be aware of, but it's something she will likely be holding over JO's head as a threat. She could threaten to fire him and expose his deal with Lex to Chloe if Jimmy doesn't continue to make good on that deal. So, Chloe will not know about Jimmy's betrayal immediately, and Clark will not be the one who spills that secret, imo.

What I think is that once the immediate danger has passed by and Chloe is free, Jimmy will probably propose once again, and CHLOE WILL ACCEPT. Clark will know what Jimmy has done but will likely decide that he's not going to steal Chloe's happiness away from her. I think Tess will reveal her knowledge to Jimmy about his Lex deal after Chloe has accepted his marriage proposal. I also think there's a good chance that Jimmy will resume spying on/distracting Lois (per Arctic and the Apocalypse AU) about Lex's activities in order to keep his betrayal a secret from Chloe. Of course, in the meantime, Pod!Chloe will think she's found heaven's greatest gift to her life as she settles into domestic bliss with Jimmy as Chimmy (like Clana) get their "real chance" to be a couple until...wait for it...drum roll...his deal with Lex pops out and Chloe learns of it. It's only at that point that Chimmy will end, imo. I expect for Mack to really bring the tears and the show to play this as the epic heartbreak of Chloe's life--an epic loss.

So, I think the Lana/Clana--Jimmy/Chimmy parallels will continue. Season 7 started with Lana hiding big secrets from Clark and Clana getting a real chance….I think season 8 will start with Jimmy hiding big secrets and Chimmy getting a real chance. Lana asked Chloe to hide a big secret from Clark, and I think Jimmy will ask Clark to hide his big secret from Chloe. Chloe will get engaged to Jimmy just as Clark has formerly been engaged to Lana. It will be a sickening spectacle to watch for those who dare to stick around to watch it--if this actually plays out. So, I do think the Chimmy will engage in a Bizarro-style version of Chloe's Apocalypse AU engagement. The Chimmy isn't going away, folks.

Sorry to be so long, but there was a small part 2 to my last entry.

2) Chloe's near term professional activities: Atleast in the near term, Chloe is unemployed, and she isn't a journalist anymore. She has to have a job and an income, so this is where Oliver will likely step in to save the day, imo. Oliver will probably pay her to operate in a WT capacity for his League so that Chloe can stay afloat financially because she can't keep working for Clark as a sidekick for free now that her DP job is gone. Even if the show does go Chlois, I think Chloe will probably continue to stay onboard as WT in some capacity as a part of her general character profile. I think WT for Chloe is here to stay, like it or not--that doesn't mean that the show can't still Chlois though. Chloe could be Chlois and WT.

Until Tess can be defeated, the DP will remain under Luthor control. That means there will be no immediate satisfaction for the Chlark or Chlois crowd, imo. The Tess storyline will extend deep into the season, imo.

All of this is just general speculation on my part spanning the first half of the season. I think season 8 will be a bore beyond description and a personal agony for Chlois and Chlark fans in the near term. What happens beyond the mid-season plot twists is anybody's guess. But, I think this will basically outline Chloe's role until the mid-season twists that slingshot the characters into the back side of the season.

Not for me... for me, Clark is the main character on the show, so even the idea of Clark being at the Planet would be exciting enough. I also feel like Chloe did have her happy resolution - she didn't want to be there working for Lex, and she ended up having an "out." Sometimes we don't make major changes in our lives that we've been considering until or unless we're forced to. That happened there.

With Chloe at the Planet, that would mean at least four of the eight regular characters would be hanging out there, and it'd be a bit crowded. I would like to see her have a storyline that isn't "Quest" rehash... but I think Chloe would be more effective under her own terms. Look at "Labyrinth" for example... I liked that side of her. Someone suggested earlier that a blog for Chloe would be a good idea; I agree. I think sending Chloe back to the Planet would probably be a step backward for the character, especially if they're trying to get Lois and Clark to where they will eventually be in the comics.

(One might argue that Clark needs to travel around the world before arriving at the Planet; I agree there too, but if the Planet's there, I don't see why not)

I don't agree with that assessment. Chlark are always closely aligned with each other, and their journeys often parallel each other, including the character destroying aspects of the Chimmy rivaling the nausea of the Clana. Chloe is clearly in a season of loss with her job termination as part of a larger arc, imo. Clark shares Chloe's same attitude at this point wrt the DP...he doesn't want to work for Lex. Similarly, Chloe didn't want to work for Lex. Any real progress affecting Chlark's final disposition and relationship to the Daily Planet will likely come after Tess is defeated and the Luthor control is broken, imo.

Agreed. Until the show has Chloe state clearly that she has changed objectives and redirected her focus, I believe that she's in a bit of a holding pattern. So, until further notice, Chloe is still the life long journalist dreaming of the DP and winning a Pulitzer. That will not happen under Luthor control or before Oliver can take control of the DP, imo. OTOH, if Chloe plainly states that she has other avenues she wishes to explore, then that's a different story--it could happen. But, it hasn't happened yet. Chloe working as a journalist at the DP is Chloe working under her own terms.

Yes, that could work as an interim step in the storyline until the time arrives in the story for DP redemption which will not happen until the Luthor corruption is gone from the DP, imo.

They managed to do fine with it this season. If anything, Lois added nothing of use to the DP set and took away from Chloe and Jimmy.

Yeah, not for me either. I don't view events and changes in Clark's life through a Chloe lens. The characters are each on their own personal journies, and trajectories. If Clark's life heads him towards the DP, and Chloe's life heads her away from that, I don't have any problem with that. I do think that Chloe's feelings on the matter need to be articulated better. I haven't really felt that journalism was Chloe's passion for a while now, so her moving away from the DP isn't quite that much of a shocker for me. I do think Chloe's needs a clearer POV on her personal direction to clear up the muddiness that exists at the present time.

But regardless of Chloe's story, I do want to see Clark gain more direction and ambition in his own life. So, if he begins to consider journalism, I'd see that as a positive direction for his character. IMO

For me, yes and no. I would be thrilled to see Clark get into journalism-- I've been hoping for it for years now. But for Clark to start working for a corrupted Planet, after Chloe was unjustly fired, is not what I want to see. And if Clark begins working there after the Planet has been bought by Ollie and redeemed-- well, then, I'd want to see Chloe return too. Why wouldn't she? She belongs there more than Clark and EDLois do. She's been there for three years, as well as an internship, and it's been her lifelong dream to work there, besides.



I don't find that to be a "happy resolution," personally. She was fired unjustly. Certainly she wasn't happy working for Lex-- why would she be? Lex is the villain, and she knows it. Which leads to the question, why would Clark and EDLois be happy working for him? And again, if Lex is removed, that removes Chloe's only problem with the Planet, as far as we know. Why should Clark and EDLois continue to work there, while Chloe doesn't?



As Adele pointed out, we had four characters working there this season (admittedly one was not a regular). I think the writers could handle this perfectly well, personally. As the show moves toward Metropolis, its action should revolve around the Daily Planet. Moving Chloe out of the DP marginalizes her, which doesn't make sense to me, since she's been resigned for every episode.



I suggested that as a way of Chloe keeping herself involved in journalism, despite any blacklisting Lex might have done, and as a way for her to eventually get back into the Planet. The idea that blogging or freelancing might be her ultimate career doesn't work for me, not after all the emphasis we've gotten over the years that her major dream is to work at the Daily Planet. Again, the writers haven't shown us that she's sick of the Daily Planet, "Metropolis' Greatest Newspaper," paper of record for kings, prime ministers, and future superheroes-- all they've shown us is that she didn't enjoy working for the guy who kidnapped her and her mother and experimented on them and other meteor afflicted people, which is hardly surprising. But once the Planet is no longer under Lex's control, that obstacle is removed. One hopes the writers will remember that, and not just have Chloe move blithely on to a new dream without ever explaining why she gave up on the old one.

Maybe she doesn't want to. The show has not established if Chloe's burning passion to be a journalist remains in tact. She certainly hasn't exhibited any of that in S7, even before Lex bought the DP.



Because possibly Chloe's ambitions and attentions lie elsewhere? And since Lex is "dead", no one is going to be technically working for Lex any longer. The question becomes about working under Luthorcorp which is now run by an entirely new person that no one knows. And Tess is an unknown to Clark, and Lois, and everyone else.



I agree that there should be absolutely no reason that they couldn't have 4 or more cast members working at the DP. I just don't see PS3 thinking that way. And they may envision another endpoint for Chloe. They just need to do a far better job of letting Chloe articulate that, and express what she wants for herself at the present time. Actually, I'd say that goes for Clark too. IMO



I agree. Dreams do change, but they should be explained a lot better then what SV did in S7. I can believe that the changes in Chloe's life over the last few years have also brought about changes in what she wants for her future. But no one should have to speculate about that. It should be expressed clearly, by the character herself. Of course that change may be loved or hated, but the writers shouldn't be ambigious on this. Make a decision, and follow through with it. JMHO

Also, it's not great that journalism isn't that great a thing for Clark. It's more a default, just-because. That's kind of sad.

Actually as far as Lois knows Clark is a handsome, mild mannered, simple farmboy. But she also knows he's a great friend, loyal, trustworthy, brave, and strong. To her Clark has no secret idenity, no secrets at all really. And thats why she's falling in love for him- the person, first. And she'll accept the superhero part of him later, when he is ready to tell her his secret.



I didn't see Clark's name in the Torch, except on the lunch menu page. She took all the credit for the front page stories, all of it. You'd think she was the one getting to the bottom of the meteor freak stories, but nope.. she was the one sitting by the computer and Clark was the one out there helping people.



Yes! Anything Lex touches does is gold. I'm just one of those guys who cheers for the cool bad guy. I cheered my butt off when he fired her. Lex is the shit.



Couldn't quote everything but I basically agree with your entire post, especially the part about the "why" being the focal point for her next season.



So are you thinking that they are already stripping storylines from Clark and giving it to their new toy Oliver (and the season hasn't even started yet), thus giving a bad vibe of incoming Greenarrowville? And that by hiring JH and the actress who was going to star on his show (out of all the actresses in the world that they could have hired) the CW is using Smallville as a spinoff prop of his cancalled "Austin Golden Hour" series and plan to push the chemistry of Justin and Cassedy all.. season.. long???

Nope, can't say that I have thought of that myself. Maybe you are just over-thinking.

If Chloe's journalism arc has had any resolution it has been offscreen. I hate that Chloe got fired instead of quitting the DP. Now, that would have been a resolution along with a couple of scenes explaining her thinking on what her new ambition is.

Imagine if after all the Buffy-lusting Spike did in Seasons 5-6, he just dropped it in one episode say after some particularly scathing remarks had been addressed to him by Buffy. What sort of resolution would that have been? Just as bad as Chloe's ambition being the DP for 7 friggin' years and then one fine episode, poof! Just like that. No explanation, nothing. The most they have shown that even hints that her interests might have changed/waned is the lack of publications from her. Then again, that could be explained by the fact that Lex owns the DP. They have given the audience no onscreen obvious reason(s) to believe that Chloe's direction has changed.

I don't know what they will do with the Isis set next season. I do think Clark and Chloe will make use of it early next season for say the first 2 episodes, then I think he'll start work at the DP. Soon afterwards Lana returns take back the set. But after she dies by midseason (hopefully), the set will be useless if Clark is at the DP getting his info through the papers. (And how great of a thought is that? Clark getting his own info.. ahhhhh).

Oh wait.. maybe after Lana dies (or leaves SV again), Chloe pledges to run the foundation, and that will be her endpoint in the series.. to go on helping the meteor infected. Maybe?? Could happen. Seems to be the natural progression of her character. That or death.



Journalism is a great thing for Clark Kent, its the means by which he hears of breaking news around the world that need his help. Without it he'd miss a lot of stories. I see it no different on SV. He'll realize that working at the DP allows him to help even more people. It'll become a great tool.

But even then, Clark protects the Earth. Thats his true occupation/mission/destiny, journalism isn't.